Matius 2:16

2:16 When Herod ¹  saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he became enraged. He sent men ²  to kill all the children in Bethlehem ³  and throughout the surrounding region from the age of two and under, according to the time he had learned from the wise men.

Matius 8:18

Challenging Professed Followers

8:18 Now when Jesus saw a large crowd ⁴  around him, he gave orders to go to the other side of the lake. ⁵ 

Matius 8:31

8:31 Then the demons begged him, ⁶  “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

Matius 17:18

17:18 Then ⁷  Jesus rebuked ⁸  the demon and it came out of him, and the boy was healed from that moment.

Matius 18:34

18:34 And in anger his lord turned him over to the prison guards to torture him ⁹  until he repaid all he owed.

[2:16]  ¹ sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1. Note the fulfillment of the prophecy given by the angel in 2:13.

[2:16]  ² tn Or “soldiers.”

[2:16]  ³ map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.

[8:18]  ⁴ tc ‡ Codex B and some Sahidic mss read simply ὄχλον (oclon, “crowd”), the reading that NA²⁷ follows; the first hand of א, as well as ˹ and a few others, has ὄχλους (oclous, “crowds”); other witnesses read πολὺν ὄχλον (polun oclon, “a large crowd”). But the reading most likely to be original seems to be πολλούς ὄχλους (pollou" oclou"). It is found in א² C L Θ 0233 ˹³ 33 Ï lat; it is judged to be superior on internal grounds (the possibility of accidental omission of πολλούς/πολύν in isolated witnesses) and, to a lesser extent, external grounds (geographically widespread, various texttypes). For reasons of English style, however, this phrase has been translated as “a large crowd.”

[8:18]  ⁵ tn The phrase “of the lake” is not in the Greek text but is clearly implied; it has been supplied here for clarity.

[8:31]  ⁶ tn Grk “asked him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[17:18]  ⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then.”

[17:18]  ⁸ tn Or “commanded” (often with the implication of a threat, L&N 33.331).

[18:34]  ⁹ tn Grk “handed him over to the torturers,” referring specifically to guards whose job was to torture prisoners who were being questioned. According to L&N 37.126, it is difficult to know for certain in this instance whether the term actually envisions torture as a part of the punishment or is simply a hyperbole. However, in light of the following verse and Jesus’ other warning statements in Matthew about “fiery hell,” “the outer darkness,” etc., it is best not to dismiss this as mere imagery.